Orbital Sciences CorporationPegasus XLVandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit
Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS)
Launched
December 6, 1998 · 00:57 UTC
Image: NASA/Laurie Losey
Summary
SWAS launched on an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit on December 6, 1998 at 00:57 UTC. It was Orbital Sciences Corporation's 28th launch, 8th this year and humanity's 4,283rd orbital launch attempt. It was the 13th Pegasus XL flight and the 3rd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). SWAS, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 644 × 656 km orbit inclined 69.9°. 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Pegasus XL · Orbital Sciences Corporation
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Astrophysics · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 13th Pegasus XL flight · 3rd this yearOrbital Sciences Corporation's 28th launch8th this yearhumanity's 4,283rd orbital launch attempt76th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
SWAS · NORAD 25560 · 1998-071 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- SWAS
- Object ID
- 1998-071A
- Epoch
- 1998-12-06 02:01:28 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.75576246 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0008508
- Inclination
- 69.9143°
- Ascending node
- 162.7608°
- Arg. of perigee
- 194.2665°
- Mean anomaly
- 165.8242°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
3 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage, 1 component; 2 still in orbit
- SWAS · NORAD 25560 · in orbit
Pegasus F25 Stage 3 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
The Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite was a NASA Small Explorer that surveyed water, oxygen, carbon monoxide and carbon in interstellar clouds at submillimetre wavelengths to study star formation.
Pad
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit
11th launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, 3rd this year · 24th from Air launch to orbit
22 launches from this pad · 52 from Air launch to orbit
247 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did SWAS launch?
SWAS launched on December 6, 1998 at 00:57 UTC.
Where can I watch SWAS?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched SWAS?
Pegasus XL, flown by Orbital Sciences Corporation. Pegasus XL spec sheet
Where did SWAS launch from?
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit.
What orbit did SWAS reach?
SWAS, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 644 × 656 km orbit inclined 69.9°.
How many satellites did SWAS launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).